WANTED poster
by MangKulas
Summary: Labeled as a traitor by the Fire Nation, and perhaps by his actions at Ba Sing Se, Prince Zuko is remembered differently in this story...


Disclaimer: Character of Zuko and the world of Avatar not mine

* * *

A corner of the faded WANTED poster fluttered in the wind. Min stopped before it. She read the name.

"Some bounty, eh, Mistress?" Lu, one of the caravan guards, said from behind her.

"I should think it be high." Dao, another of the guards, said scornfully as he stepped up next to Min. "That's a Fire Nation prince, after all."

Lu peered over Min's shoulder. "Well, he's been named traitor now."

Dao spat. "Ah, who cares? He's just some Fire Nation scum." Min's mouth tightened. Lu looked around in alarm. "Shhhh. Not so loud, eh?"

Dao hitched up his belt. "Don't see any of them around." But he lowered his voice, anyway, as he walked off with Lu murmuring angrily about the Fire Nation.

Min looked after them. Then she shook her head. She was just an ordinary clerk on this trip, not the daughter of a powerful and rich Earth Kingdom silk trader. If she said anything about judging a man before knowing him, Dao would only laugh. Min looked back at the WANTED poster as another breeze stirred the loose corner of the rotting paper. The lines were fading, but she could still recognize Zuko. Even with his scar. Even with the scowl.

She'd stared into his eyes when she'd been the most frightened in her life. She was not likely to forget them. She took one last look before she walked back to her ostrich horse. She still needed to get her father's silks sold. So, she put the poster out of her mind.

* * *

Perhaps, she had not put it out of her mind as well as she should have. For that night, she dreamed of Zuko. 

She was seven. Wandering 'round the quiet grounds of the Firelord Azulon's country estate. A breeze shook the branches of the silver oaks lining a wide river that cut a swath through the estate. The tiny leaves rustled, whispering, whispering to Min as she looked up, enchanted.

"Who are _you_?"

Min turned at the voice. She did not know who it was, but she knew that sort of voice. It was like the voice of her cousin, Kan, who threw Min's lame cat to the pit dogs and laughed while doing it.

A girl stood at the mouth of the red-lacquered, delicate wooden bridge spanning the river. A boy with a topknot stood behind her, looking at Min curiously and at the other girl uneasily.

Imperiously, the girl demanded, "Well? Are you deaf? Who are you? And what are you doing in the estates of Firelord Azulon?"

"My name is Min," Min said quietly. "My father is a silk-merchant come to talk to the Firelord."

The girl sniffed and walked around Min, insolently looking at her up and down. "A silk merchant?" she sneered. "My grandfather's too busy for a stupid Earth Kingdom trader!"

The boy with the topknot followed her into the bank. "Leave her alone, Azula. We need to get back inside, anyway."

"Oh, stop it Zuzu!" The girl said sharply, looking at the boy.

The boy colored as he glowered at Azula. "Don't call me that!"

Azula only smirked and turned to Min again. "Don't mind my brother, Min. He's just mad because I found out he's adopted." Her eyes slid slyly to the boy. "He was found in the crap of winged water buffalo."

"That's not true, Azula." The boy said heatedly. "You're making that up."

"I should be thankful if you were really adopted," Min said suddenly. "It means they got to choose you, but just got stuck with her."

The boy's eyes widened; he quickly put up a hand as if hiding a smile. Azula's eyes had whipped back to her, the smile completely gone from her face now. Min, herself, could hardly believe that those words came from her mouth.

"Do you like climbing trees, little Min?" Azula asked softly. The Fire princess smiled suddenly.

It made Min's hackles rise. "Why?" She said cautiously.

"Oh, nothing." Azula practically skipped to one of the gnarled silver oaks. "I mean, I think we just got off to a wrong start. Do you want to play? Climb-race to the end of the branch right there?" She pointed to a sturdy forked branch that extended over the river.

"Thanks, but I don't think I will."

Azula beamed. "Oh, but Grandfather would be _soo_ disappointed if I just left a guest to her own. I'm sure your father would like us to play together."

Min said nothing. Looking into Azula's glittering eyes, she was suddenly afraid. But she nodded slowly.

Azula clapped her hands in delight. "All right. Zuko, you'll be the one to start off the race. Watch to see who wins."

Zuko looked at her, shaking his head. But he walked over to the silver oak and stood expectantly.

"All right, just count down from three, Zuko, and we'll start," said Azula.

Min had already marked her branch to give her a lift up.

"Three. Two—" Zuko looked at them. "One!"

Azula and Min jumped up and started climbing up the silver oak. The gnarly bark provided plenty of footholds and handholds for Min, but she slowed her ascent, scared to have the Fire princess behind her.

Azula took one of the forks and started inching out. Min cautiously did the same, still keeping behind Azula. The Fire princess stopped almost at the edge. She turned. "I win," she said jubilantly, laughing, looking young for one moment.

Min nodded, exhaling. She turned around, feeling a little dizzy at the height already.

"Look out!" Zuko yelled before something burning hit Min in the back. She gasped and fell off the branch. She flung a hand out and caught the branch as her legs dangled over the river.

"Hold on!" she heard Zuko say. Min felt her throat close up, which Min was thankful for. A hoarse cry was fighting its way out of her, blocked by panic.

Out of the corner of her eye, Min saw Azula approach. Min felt something curdle in her stomach. She tried getting her other hand up, but she felt a weakness invading her, a weakness that turned her muscles into jelly.

And suddenly Azula was there, looking down at her. "It was nice playing with you, little Min." She put her hand on top of Min's, and it was burning hot.

Min gasped and she fell.

Zuko's hand caught her arm. Min looked up, unerringly, staring into his eyes.

"I won't let you go." Zuko said. In the background, Min heard Azula's laughter.

Then, she and Zuko fell.

Min gasped as she came awake, sitting up, her face dropping into her hands. She exhaled.

Min softly laughed. "You really didn't let go. 'Till we were fished out, you never let go." Then, she fell silent. She looked up at the moonlight streaming through the windows as the breeze lifted up the curtain and made it billow. Min leaned back. And closed her eyes.


End file.
